Social Fatality
by Sapphyre Snow
Summary: A new agent joins the team and a new case sends them to Washington state to solve a case involving the serial killings of 15 girls found in 15 different cities throughout the state.  Flows very much like an episode
1. Chapter 1: Agent Love

**Spoilers: Up to Season Six

Rating: T

Authors Note: This is my first fanfic for Criminal Minds—which I have recently become attached to in a slightly obsessive way. I had this little idea for a fic which may turn into a really long fic or multiple fics either way I needed to add an OC (who may or may not become a big part) so hopefully that doesn't throw anyone off. I would think this takes place sometime before season six…so after season five doesn't exist in this fic's world. Oh, and the stories title may or may not change…I haven't decided for sure yet.

* * *

><p>Social Fatality<p>

Chapter One: Agent Love

"But isn't the team kind of full already?" Agent Derek Morgan asked the distain evident in his voice, as he poured his coffee.

In his usual, serious and dominate voice, Unit Chief, Agent Aaron Hotchner replied, "the team is never too full for someone with the qualifications and a special knowledge that either of us lack." The expression on his face was that of umbrage towards Morgan's question. Hotch was irritated. Morgan should know by now that his faith and belief in the team and keeping the team together was just as strong as Morgan's.

"Should we resent that statement?" Agent Emily Prentiss joked, winking at Hotch and then taking a sip of her coffee.

Agent David Rossi shot her a look and she shrugged.

"J.J. go ahead and prepare your presentation. The rest of you finish what you were doing and as soon as she arrives we'll meet with J.J. to be briefed," Hotch directed in a no-questions-asked voice, before picking up his coffee mug and heading to his office.

The team headed to their desks where Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia was waiting for them. "What's this I hear about a new team member?" she asked as they approached.

"It's the first we've heard of it," Prentiss replied. "It's like Hotch just decided out of nowhere to add her to the team and not even talk to us about it." Prentiss really didn't have a problem with it. She trusted their team leader's judgment. She was just slightly offended that he hadn't told them until just that moment. The team was close—perhaps they didn't know much about each other's personal lives, especially their unit chief's, but usually they discussed big changes as equals.

"I don't like it," Morgan stated, grudgingly, leaning against the wall, a deep frown furrowing his brows.

"Are we surprised?" Prentiss teased. "If I remember correctly you weren't very welcoming to me when I was new either."

"She's got you there," Dr. Spencer Reid stated, not looking up from the papers in his hand.

Rossi grinned. "My guess this is exactly why he didn't tell you ahead of time—all this talking about how you don't like it and murmuring. Give the new agent and Hotch a chance. Hotch has as much faith in this team as we do, so if he feels we need the new agent, then my guess is she's an expert in something very unique, and we could use it."

Prentiss nodded in agreement and Morgan shrugged. They grabbed their coffee and paperwork and turned to head towards the conference room.

Just then Garcia elbowed Morgan in the ribs. "Who's that? Is that her?" she whispered.

A beautiful woman, looking maybe 5 years older than Reid had just stepped into the room. She was dressed in light gray, stylish suit pants, and a bright yellow blouse with a light gray suit jacket over it. Her yellow pumps stood out from beneath the gray pants. Her bleach-blonde highlighted hair cascaded down in old Hollywood styleVeronicaLakewaves. She looked slightly befuddled fumbling with a briefcase and umbrella.

"She's gorgeous!" Prentiss whispered in awe. "Do you think that's the new agent?"

Reid shook his head slowly. "I don't think so. She looks more like a secretary or assistant. I know Strauss has been looking for a new assistant recently," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Look at her hair!" Garcia exclaimed, grabbing Morgan's shoulder tightly. "It's the 1940s waves that I have always wanted to recreate! That style takes so much time and effort and perfect hair!" She let out an envious sigh.

"Whoa, baby girl, you're going to squeeze my shoulder off," Morgan laughed pulling her grip off of him. "She doesn't look very professional," he observed.

"I think she looks oldHollywoodprofessional," Garcia stated, glaring at him playfully. "Don't judge the beauty."

Finally seeming to be organized, the young woman stood up straight, took a deep breath and then glided across the walkway passing Rossi on her way to Hotch's office. Rossi paused and stared an expression of shock passing his face and then he turned to the team and raised an eyebrow. The young woman knocked on Hotch's door and waited.

"Apparently that's not Strauss's new assistant," Prentiss observed, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you think Hotch has seen her yet?" Reid asked. "She doesn't look like someone he would normally hire."

Looking him up and down Morgan laughed. "Are you so sure, Mr. Non-matching socks and converse?"

Reid rolled his eyes as the others laughed, quickly looking back up at the woman. They watched as Hotch opened the door. His eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly looked her up and down before he took her outstretched hand to shake it.

"Something tells me he hasn't," Prentiss laughed quietly.

* * *

><p>"Agent Love?" Hotch asked, trying to hide his surprise as he shook the beautiful woman's outstretched hand.<p>

"That's me," she smiled up at him.

Managing to continue to cover his surprise at her beauty and dazzling smile he said, "Come have a seat," and directed her to a chair, and went to sit behind his desk. "Did you bring your transfer paperwork?"

"Oh, yes," she smiled, shuffling through her briefcase. "Here you go."

He looked through the papers briefly and sat them on his desk, and quickly made a few notes. He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment and almost said something, but seemed to change his mind. "Alright let's go. We don't really have a lot of time to talk. You okay with being thrown right into things?" he stared hard at her, searching for weakness perhaps. "Our media director is ready to brief us on a case."

She returned his scrutiny with another bright smile. "Just like that and I'm in?"

Hotch stared at her, his expression still not changing. "You're in the BAU now. It's fast paced and there's little time to wait around or dawdle."

She laughed delightfully. "Fabulous. I hate dawdling and dawdlers." She gave him a wink to which he furrowed his brows before turning to lead her out of the office. He called the team who exchanged looks between each other and Agent Love followed him into the briefing room.

* * *

><p>After every one had been seated Hotch brought Agent Love up to the front. "Team this is Agent Sandy Love. Agent Love this is Agent Derek Morgan, Emily Prentiss, David Rossi, Dr. Spencer Reid, and this is technical analyst Penelope Garcia, and media director Jennifer Jareau."<p>

Since J.J. was right next to her she smiled with an outstretched hand and said, "everyone just calls me J.J."

Agent Love returned the handshake with a smile. "Alright, J.J." She immediately seemed somewhat relieved to have at least been approved by one member of the team.

"Ok, lets get started," Hotch directed taking a seat and directing Agent Love to sit next to him.

J.J. turned to the giant screen and began. "Over the past six month inWashingtonStatetwenty girls have gone missing—statewide. Not one is from the same city. Considering statistics on missing persons and the distance between all cases the local police kept them on the missing persons lists but assumed most were runaway cases."

The faces of the twenty older teen girls popped up on the screen. The team gazed at the faces already beginning their profiling and victimology.

"That is until the past few days ago when three of the missing girls were found."

On the screen popped up pictures of the three murdered girls. Wrists and ankles bound and tape across their mouths. All three were lying in open meadows surrounded by dense tree lines.

"Obviously very likely the same unsub," Morgan observed noting their similar binds and gags, and similar surroundings.

"That looks like at least part of the signature," Prentiss added slowly.

"All three were found in completely different counties and areas from each other and at least 50 miles outside of their home town," J.J. stated. "All three were sexually assaulted and all three died of suffocation."

"Agent Love," Hotch said, suddenly turning towards the currently silent and thoughtful new agent. "Thoughts?"

Agent Love didn't seem to hear him at first as she stared at the screen in thought. Finally, she said, "twelve of those remaining girls are possible victims of this unsub."

The rest of the team members either looked surprised or doubtful. Hotch nodded carefully and brows creased asked, "How do you know?"

She finally turned to him and said, "The three victims found are black-haired, blue-eyed. A rarer combination than were it dark-haired brown eyed. Only fifteen of those girls on the board match that victimology."

The other team members turned back and looked again. "She's right," observed Prentiss. "Though I am not sure we can say that is a definite yet."

"Ok, J.J., let's go. Grab your 'go-bags' everyone," Hotch directed the team. Everyone jumped up and began gathering their things except Agent Love. Hotchner stared at her. "Agent Love? That includes you."

Spastically Agent Love jumped up, knocking over her chair, and frantically grabbed her things following them out the door while Hotch hid an amused smile.


	2. Chapter 2: Profiling a Profiler

**Spoilers: Up to Season Six

Rating: T

Authors Note: Ok so the detective, police and criminal vocabulary isn't my strong point. I tried to research to keep it accurate, but if you see any errors feel free to send me a PM to tell. I enjoyed writing this chapter as the OC's character development is growing. Let me know what you think if you read it!

* * *

><p>Social Fatality<p>

Chapter Two: Profiling a Profiler

_"Technology…is a queer thing, it brings you great gifts with one hand, and stabs you in the back with the other." –Carrie P. Snow_

"This unsub is slightly unique in that he travels the entire state to get these girls," Reid observed, looking through his copy of the case file. The team were all on the jet heading to Washington. They were putting together a partial profile of the unsub so that they would be partially ready to go and have places to fit in the new information they gained once they arrived in Seattle.

"Washington State is 77,353 square miles. That is a lot of ground to cover for 15 girls in only six months," Reid added.

"So he can't be stalking them for too long in advance—there just isn't enough time for that to be possible," Prentiss stated. "Well, at least not thoroughly."

"He has to either own a newer car that gets good mileage, is filthy rich, or has some serious air mileage points," Agent Love joked.

Most of the team chuckled and Reid piped up, "there are 140 airports in the state available to the public. Mileage wouldn't work since not all of them carry the same airlines."

Slightly shocked by his miss of her joke, Agent Love smiled, "oh, well I was joking anyway."

Reid stared at her as if he thought she was nuts to be joking about the profile.

Hotch nodded towards Reid with an almost-smile. "You'll get used to him. He misses the jokes and focuses on the facts most of the time."

Agent Love nodded, quickly looking back down at her file, and the rest of the team laughed. Reid just smiled—he wasn't bothered in the least by the laughter—it wasn't mean or insulting to any degree—just full of fun camaraderie.

Hotch, meanwhile, was carefully watching and analyzing the new agent—Sandy Love. He had read all about her—her specialties, abilities, and past work experience. All of it was a perfect addition to their team and things they needed. However, his next job was to decide if her personality would mesh or collide with the other personalities on the team. So he was watchful of her every move, comment, expression. And not that he minded scrutinizing her—she was surprisingly beautiful.

"After this case," Morgan began with an expression of arrogance, "I say we play a game of let's profile Love."

The others laughed thinking he was joking, but Love wasn't convinced that he was merely teasing…it almost seemed as if he hid a great feeling of strong dislike behind his words. She had noticed this immediately upon meeting him from the distasteful look he had given her—possibly even subconsciously.

Hotch shot a reprimanding glare at Morgan. "Morgan you know we've promised not to profile each other. I think that goes for any new members as well." Hotch felt a bit like a liar at his own remark because, wasn't that exactly what he had been doing for the past twenty minutes since they had been on the jet—analyzing Agent Love? It was. But, he determined in his mind, it was also his job as Unit Chief to determine the best fit for his team, and that called for profiling.

Morgan shrugged and Love immediately, wanting to not put anyone out, said, "I don't mind. I'd be interested to see if you guys are right…maybe my whole goal this case will be to confuse your profiling skills—therefore, truly testing them." She gave them all a sly smile. "Maybe I'll act completely opposite of myself."

Hotch gave one of his not-frown, but not really a smile looks and Reid smiled, "ooh, that sounds like a challenge. If Love is ok with it, than I would really like to try it." He clapped his hand together and looked at her quizzically for a moment.

"Perhaps," Rossi said leaning forward with a chuckle, "we should refocus on our case now."

"Yes. J.J. tell us a little more about the victims and let's focus on victimology first," Hotch directed, steering the attention away from the new agent, whom he was sure was already a bit self-conscious and nervous, from the slight shaking of her leg and the way she kept biting her lip.

"Tiffany Peschek," JJ said pointing to one of the victims photos. Long black hair framed a lovely olive skinned face and piercing blue eyes. "Seventeen years old. She lived in Ferndale—small town on the coast by Canada. She was reported missing in February, six months ago. Her parents said she was a pretty social girl, had lots of friends, involved in school, and very busy. The evening she was last seen she told her parents she was going to a yearbook meeting at the school. There was no meeting and she never came home. She was found Monday in Oak Harbor—About 60 miles away."

"Okay," said Prentiss nodding. "What about the others?"

"Sophia Fifield. Seventeen years old. Lived in Ellensburg. She was reported missing in March. She was reported as very shy and kind of a loner. Her parents said she spend most of her free time alone in her room reading or working on her laptop. The evening she was last seen going up to her room. But when her parents went to tell her goodnight she was no longer there and her bedroom window was open. She was found 70 miles away in Moses Lake." JJ looked up and waited of the information to soak in before continuing. "And Elizabeth Zamora. Sixteen years old. Schoolmates described her as goth—depressed and strange. Last seen going to school—reported missing when she didn't come home from school. That was in May. Lived in a small town called Ritzville and found in Spokane—60 miles away."

"These girls extremely similar," Rossi observed, "but their personalities couldn't be any different."

"So all we can say now is that he goes for brunettes with blue eyes, and it doesn't matter what their personalities are like," Prentiss stated.

"Are they possibly victims of opportunity?" Love asked out loud. "He sees a sexy brunette and grabs her because she reminds him of someone?"

Prentiss and Rossi chuckled at her addition of the adjective "sexy".

"Maybe," Morgan said, ignoring her added humor. "But, while this unsub doesn't seem to be organized…he isn't chaotic—he left the bodies in hard to find places…so opportunistic grabbing doesn't seem right to me."

Hotch nodded thoughtfully. "He took the time and forethought to find places hidden in dense forest—In places that he is not from and therefore, unfamiliar with. However, they were not buried or hidden in any other way. They were in open fields near farms. It's almost as if he had to hide them, but somehow wanted them to be found at the same time."

"It's almost like he is a disorganized organized person," Prentiss said thoughtfully.

"Organized chaos. Oh, I know that feeling," Love commented quietly from her corner. The team laughed. "It's much worse than being completely organized or completely disorganized." They continued laughing at her joke, Hotch even smiled, but he could tell it was more than a joke. She was definitely speaking from experience. He had seen the inside of her briefcase when she had pulled out her transfer papers…it has indeed looked like "organized chaos."

The team continued discussing possible profiles as Love mostly listened, making a few joking comments, and Reid silently profiled her in preparation for the "game" after they solved the case. Hotch continued profiling as well….though he found himself distracted by her expressive, green eyes which seemed to express more emotion in them than anyone else he knew could expel through their entire person.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the Seattle Police Department by eleven and entered. The lead detective on the case, Bill Nichols greeted them immediately. JJ stepped forward first to shake his hand and introduce the team. "I'm Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone. This is Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner, SSA David Rossi, SSA Derek Morgan, SSA Sandy Love, and Dr. Reid." Detective Nichols shook each hand in turn. "Where can we set up?"<p>

"This way. We have a conference room all ready for you," he led them to the back of the department where they were shown a large room.

The team immediately went to work setting up and Hotch turned towards the detective. "We need to talk to the coroner who performed the autopsies and see the bodies." Before the detective could respond, however, he continued, "have the parents of the victims arrived yet?"

"Sergeant Davids can take you to the coroner's office," he said nodding towards a man nearby. "And the Peschek's and Zamora's have arrived and the Fifields should be here any minute. They are over there in the waiting room." He nodded towards a closed room surrounded by windows where two couples sat in despair waiting.

Hotch immediately felt empathy fill his heart as he looked and saw the emotionally beaten parents, but, as always, he stayed professional and kept his face serious, businesslike, and distant. He knew the awful and overwhelming feelings of loss and confusion and despair apparent on their faces. It had been a year since Haley's murder, but sometimes—especially at times like this when he saw someone suffering the same agony—it felt like yesterday.

Before he could make his next request an officer came rushing over.

"They've found another body. Same MO, same victim type," the officer said quickly.

"Where?" the detective asked immediately.

"South Hill. Another farmer found the body in one of his fields," the office replied.

The team had gathered to hear the news. Hotch was immediately on top of it. "How far from here is South Hill?"

The officer shrugged. "About an hour's drive."

"Agent Love?"

She was immediately at his side awaiting his direction, giving a small salute. "You and I will go to South Hill and investigate the crime scene. Reid and Prentiss I want you to go to the coroner's office, find out what you can from their report and the bodies. Rossi and Morgan I want you to interview the parents and see if you can find anything in common with the victims or anything that may have been missed in the report." He grabbed his keys and rushed out the door. "Text me the coordinates of the newest victim's location," he called as he kept walking.

Love stood frozen briefly and Prentiss nudged her. "I think you are supposed to follow him," she whispered with a giggle in her voice.

Love shook her head snapping herself out of it and frantically grabbed her things and ran after him.

Morgan shook his head watching her. Prentiss smiled.

"I like her," Reid said. "She is a bit of a spaz and yet somehow graceful."

"Yah, I agree. It makes her endearing," Prentiss agreed with a big smile. "She's cute. And funny. But, I think Hotch ruffles her feathers her a bit."

Morgan shook his head again. "Well, she better get used to it. It's not like he's ever any different."


End file.
